She said: "This is the latest significant step in our journey. We're all so pleased that you're opening here because you have branches already in Kingston and Woking which really are out main competitor areas, so now we are joining them even more.

"It's a really significant fit, it's modern, it's bright and airy. I'm really pleased that we've got local employment opportunities here and thanks to you all for that."

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Shoppers queued around the corner to get a look, with more than 800 people filing into the store within the hour, exceeding the expectations of Primark staff.

Simon Gibbs, director of sales in the UK for Primark, said: "We are delighted to open our first Primark store in Staines. We look forward to offering our amazing fashion at amazing prices to the people of Staines and the surrounding areas."

The shop, which covers more than 36,000 square feet of floor space over two levels of the shopping centre, had been expected to open last September but the date was pushed back.

The store is the 184th Primark to open in the UK and is one of 351 worldwide, including sites in Ireland, Spain, Germany, Italy and the United States.

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